Will you be cheering for NI tonight?

[Evil Genius]

Five Times you have hit the nail on the head. In all my visits to Windsor Park I never felt the team in green were representing me and hence I had no affinity with them.

So what were you doing in Windsor Park? Supporting the opposition?

So as he could tell everybody that there were three Prods fewer able to squeeze in, I'd say  

[red hander]

'So as he could tell everybody that there were three Prods fewer able to squeeze in, I'd say'

Only three? Why, has Tony been on a diet?

[Solomon Kane]

Sorry, I will most defintely be cheering for Espagna on the grounds that

The IFA team makes no attempt to garner my support whatsoever

To be fair Tony, they are endevouring to keep sectarianism out of Northern Ireland football, so it would be only fair to not want your support!

[nifan]

Im sure your delighted to see michael boyd and FFA getting an award  from Metro Éireann Tony

[T Fearon]

My visits to Windsor Park, largely in the late 60s, late 70s and early to mid 80s, were to watch individual players (the likes of Best, Jennings, Chivers, O'Neill, Rummenige etc). In those days it was the only way to see top class footballers in the flesh. Admittedly in the 60s, one wasn't aware of the political undertones, for example I was raised in a fairly unionist area of Portadown and used to attend July 11th bonfires as a child etc.

But I have been there once since 1983, for an international game,and that was when the 6 county unionist side beat Austria 5-3 on a piss poor night in 1995...I won the tickets. However I never felt it was "my team". Until the IFA concentrates on promoting football and not unionism, things will never change in terms of the monocultural support base

I have twice gone along to Windsor Park to support the real Ireland side, in 1979 and 1988, where I was scared shitless.

[magpie seanie]

Voted "No" cos I'll be out playing ball myself and then at a club meeting. Reckon they might get a result themselves but can't see Latvia beating Sweden in a million years. I wouldn't be upset at all if NI qualified. Most of their supporters who come on here seem pretty decent.

[T Fearon]

NIFan, wouldn't surprise me. 26 County people seem to fall over themselves salivating at any unionist individual or grouping that half acts like a normal human being(s). In there eyes such an occurence is a rarity.

When Windsor Park becomes apolitical and attracts significant numbers of supporters from all sections of the community then Mr Boyd will be truly deserving of honour and commendation.

[Zapatista]

I have twice gone along to Windsor Park to support the real Ireland side,

WTF? How do you come to the conclucion there is a real Irish side?

I'm going to post this crap on the-grinds your gears thread. Arrgh!!!

[full back]

I wouldnt mind seeing the North qualify
What does bother me is the f**king local media - they are getting as bad as the f**king English
Reporters travelling to the Canarys & having daily f**king updates on the news
It will be interesting to see if Logie devotes as much time to the Ulster final after tonight & next week

[deiseach]

Some people say it was the spectre of Rome Rule that accounted for partition, but I think it was the prospect of sharing a country with a shower of lobster pink olé-oléing yahoos singing "you'll never beat de Irish" at the bemused natives.

[The Real Laoislad]

Yeah i'd have no problem seeing N.Ireland win tonight and maybe qualify for Euro 2008

[Square Ball]

Yes I will

[tyrone exile]

hope there hammered!

[ziggysego]

hope they're hammered!

Fixed that for you

[Broken_Cross]

yes - I will be cheering for NI to get stuffed tonight also.